Field of the Invention
This invention relates to panel coupling assemblies. It is particularly concerned with roofs, such as those of conservatories, having transparent or translucent panels supported side by side by beams. These beams are generally part of the framework of the structure.
There are various requirements for such assemblies, and in particular the panels must be held securely and the joints must be waterproof. There should also be high degrees of thermal and acoustic insulation. At the same time assembly should be simple and preferably be achievable by one person working alone. Where such roofs spring from a wall, the attachment to the wall should also be simple secure and weatherproof.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a coupling assembly for two substantially co-planar panels, the assembly comprising a beam, a coupling member and a cap, the coupling member being engageable with a first longitudinal portion of the beam to be retained thereby, the adjacent edges of the panels having formations engageable with the coupling member to be retained thereby on opposite sides of the beam, and the cap being engageable with a second longitudinal portion of the beam, proud of the panels, to cover said second portion and the edge formations.
The first longitudinal portion of the beam conveniently has lateral flanges or ribs which engage in complementary grooves of the coupling member, while the edge formations of the panels preferably interhook with edge portions of that member. The coupling member may thus be channel shaped with the grooves at the base of the channel terminating in hooked edge formations.
Preferably, the interhooking of the panel edge portions with the coupling member is by snap action.
In a roof structure, the first longitudinal portion of the beam will be underneath, but it will be concealed from view below by the coupling member, which can provide the insulation referred to above.
Generally, sealing means will be interposed between the panels and the edges of the cap that co-operate with the panels. These may comprise interengaging formations on the cap and panels enabling the cap to be fitted and removed only by being slid longitudinally.
Both the panels and the coupling member are preferably multiwall extrusions of synthetic resin such as polycarbonate. The cap may be an extrusion of solid resin, such as PVC, while the beam will normally be of metal, such as an aluminum extrusion.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an assembly for attaching beams and panels supported thereby to a wall to extend generally perpendicularly therefrom, the assembly comprising a bracket for securing to the wall, a main support member that attaches to the bracket and provides a shelf on which the ends of the beams and panels bear, infill elements that fit to the support member above the panels and between the beams to bear on the panels, a weather strip attached to the support member to lie along the wall and cover the assembly, and a soffit attached to the support member to lie along the wall and shield the underside of the assembly.
The main support member may have a flange above the shelf, the ends of the beams and the panels being overhung by this flange. The beam assembly comprising the beam, coupling member and cap will preferably be a close fit between the shelf and the overhanging flange.